How-To: FORCE BULBS

Force bulbs in winter weather to turn your home into a flowery oasis. Follow these steps to have tulip, iris, and hyacinth bulbs blooming indoors in no time.

When you determine which bulbs you want to force you will want to buy the largest version of their variety possible. Bulbs need a period of chilling in order to root and flower. Plant bulbs in a pot without letting them touch and cover the bulbs with potting soil. Water the bulbs and place in cool, dark surroundings to chill them.

Keep the pot’s soil damp, but not wet. Roots will begin peeking out the bottom of the pot, while green sprouts will emerge from the top when chilling is complete. At this time you can move the pot to a warm room. As flowers begin to blossom you may move the pot to an area of direct sunlight and enjoy gorgeous flowers for their blooming duration.

Once withered and worn away, you can toss the entire pot into your compost pile to breakdown and provide nutrients for future gardening. Forced bulbs are generally unable to bloom again like their seasonal counterparts because they have expended all their energy in such a small amount of time.